This story is a recreation of my old story on wattpad: Re:Zero "The Legend Of the Burned Man". I didn't like it and many of its stuff did not make any sense and was quite cringe, so hopefully this new overhaul is less cringe and will actually make more sense with my broader knowledge of Re Zero lore
This follows if Subaru followed the same path as Joshua graham from FNV, Honest Hearts.
A new day rose once more. Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming and children were playing. It was a peaceful day, a wonderful day, how could it not be? The people of Lugnica are celebrating a momentous occasion, one which some thought was not entirely possible. Today was the day the kingdom dealt a massive blow to the ones they called "Witch cultists"—one of the most sadistic and terrifying terrorist groups that have ravaged the world for decades. No one was safe from their evil and carnage from small villages to large cities, children, women, and men all were victims, and no one was safe from their wrathful eyes. But today was not a day of sadness, paranoia, or fear that from out of the thick trees or tall grasslands, those horrible cultists would rise and spread their destruction over those who do not deserve it.
Two days ago, Watergate city was attacked by those vile fiends, knights were killed, parents were slain, children were orphaned, a terrible day that was. But through it all, a shining light came through. Those of the royal candidacy showed their might against the witch cult threat. Crusch Karsten, The goddess of war fought back the archbishop of Lust. Priscilla Barielle, the sun goddess, showed her steel and did not once back down against such foes. Anastasia Hoshin, the Iron Plate Magistrate, showed her genius and was able to inspire the masses and along with the Felt camp was able to plan a way to defeat the archbishop of Greed. Finally, Emila, the Silver Haired Half Devil, was able to track down and capture the archbishop of pride,
Natsuki Subaru.
Many Months Later…
Natsuki Subaru
(Not gonna delve to deep into the torture as well you've probably read this type of stuff a thousand times before)
I sit in this lonely, dark cell. I do not know how many days, weeks, maybe even months have passed. All I am aware of is the pain that envelopes my weak, tired soul and the light that shines through the frame of the door that separates me from the outside. Chains bind every limb of mine. Even if I could break them, they'd tear a hole through my hands and feet.
It's funny, there were so many chances to avoid this, but my ignorance and blind faith in that woman brought me to this place. She promised me so many things, all of them did, and yet everything I did, everything I worked for, It was all for nothing. Even before this new chapter, I was alone. They all saw me as a tool, a worker, a hero, a god, a useless worker, all of them didn't know the real me. There were only two who saw me as I truly was, but one is forever asleep, stuck in a coma, and the other betrayed me on that fateful day.
Subaru laughs to himself. A spirit that vowed her life to him was also the one that threw his life away. Now all he has left is dust and echoes.
He has gotten used to this new life, as fucked up as it is. Every morning his lovely caretaker Felix would come and ask for information, and when he didn't say what Felix wanted to hear, he got a special reward. When the treatment was done, Felix simply healed him and left.
Then when afternoon hit, another player joined the group. This one was a massive hypocrite. The one called himself the greatest of all knights, the one who will protect innocents from evil, harm, and injustice, and yet he was going back on all of his words by simply being in Subaru's presence.
Julius Juukulius, a massive hypocrite and coward would greet Subaru every day and demand answers that he did not have. So in return Julius would do some unknightly behaviors against a bound and defenseless man. Subaru simply chuckled at how much of a fraud this knight was.
Subaru knew he was starting to anger them. The more they tortured him, the more resistant he was. He started as a sobbing mess, pathetic really. He tried so hard to beg, to scream and kick, and to try and convince them he was their former friend. Nothing worked, why should it? When he did the same in front of the woman he loved, the camp and friends he cherished, all they did was turn their backs, spit at him with hatred in their words, or simply ignore him. Even when he recounted events, conversations, and personal connections with them, they didn't listen, some even got hostile claiming that he was using an ability to read their memories. But the ones that hurt the most were from his dear old spirit and the woman he swore himself to.
The spirit out of anger shot a Minya crystal through his leg after "realizing that he forced a contract on a spirit". Something so impossible and idiotic Subaru questioned his former great spirit's intelligence. It was also her fault he was in this mess. She was the one who said he was a witch cultist and was the one who must've started this whole event in watergate city.
She's the one who destroyed my life.
And then finally, the woman he loved, the one who he cherished with all his heart. Her silver hair, her purple eyes, and her childlike innocence. His Emilia, the one he swore to protect and the one who swore to rely on him, stay with him, and help him. All she did was betray him. He begged to her, screamed to her facts only her knight would know. But then she said something that cut through his very soul.
"I would never have a knight as vile and disgusting as you, LET ALONE LOVE THEM! I HATE YOU!"
And after that, Subaru gave up
Why did this all happen? A simple slip was it. One wrong turn started all of this. When Subaru was going to relocate Emilia and his camp after slaying Greed, he made a turn into a church where he found a crying little girl. As he went closer to see if she needed help, that's when she struck. From what he can tell now it had to be an Archbishop of Gluttony. After he awoke from being attacked by her.. Well, you already can guess that.
Subaru sat in his cell awaiting the next day to arrive. He wondered what his tormentors would think of next. They always were so creative with their torture and they always had new ways to go about their questioning. Earlier in his imprisonment, he wondered why his former friends, such high-class and noble knights, were so proficient in torturing and maiming him. Now he knows they are nothing more than false idols.
But he got the impression that today was going to be different. He felt off, he felt as if something bad was going to happen to him. At first, he was questioning his feelings, why do I feel this way? It's not like things can get worse than this, Can it? But as time went on those feelings faded and apathy took its place. Who gives a shit anyways, whatever happens, I really don't give a fuck anymore.
Why should he? He's currently sitting in a puddle of his own feces and blood. The smell of shit and iron mixed into a putrid smell. He sat there awaiting his fate once more. The cuts and bruises on his body reminded him of the day to come.
A couple of hours passed and still nothing. This intrigued him, usually, Felix would be in here torturing him to his heart's content, but this time Felix and his shit-eating grin were not here. Subaru thought about it for a bit before just thinking this is a good opportunity to get some extra sleep in.. except that was immediately interrupted by the door flying open..
Expecting Felix to come in he commented... "What took ya so long, lazy day?"
Except he didn't hear Felix back, instead he heard a gruff man's voice reply back,
"Shut up scum, you should be rejoicing as your pain is soon to come to an end. As much as I'd love to see you kick and scream some more, it's my duty to escort you to the Bottomless Abyss for your execution. Don't try anything funny, we've got mages on stand-by to burn your sorry ass."
Subaru processed what he just heard. They're gonna execute me? In the pit... He heard of the Bottomless Abyss, (fanmade location) it was a massive pit in between the capital city of Lugnica and the Watergate city. It was similar to the grand canyon except it was 5 times larger and deeper. He knew it was where most people went to go commit suicide, but the execution was not heard of, usually, they'd behead a witch cultist, why would they be taking him there? He'd find out soon.
Subaru didn't really care anymore if he were to be killed or die from torture. If his life was set to be nothing more than an endless lope of suffering, so be it. He chuckled that in some way, being in an endless loop would make them his prisoner instead of him being theirs.
From what he knew it was going to take a couple days' trip to get to the location, so he's going to enjoy all the sunlight he can get. He followed the guards outside where not only was he greeted with the light of the sun, but also a massive crowd of civilians angrily shouting profanities and curses at him, some even threw food and rocks at him. It reminded him of those TV shows he watched when he was little, where a recently convicted celebrity would be surrounded by crowds of people when he exited the courthouse.
Wahoo, I'm a celebrity! He would joke to himself.
Subaru found himself inside of a large carriage that was reinforced with iron bars and steel-plated walls. He was given an uncomfortable fully metal slab to sit on while two heavily armored and armed guards sat facing him in comfortable padded wool seats. Subaru had to give credit where it was due, the guards were doing a good job, and he didn't blame them. They didn't know anything about what actually happened, they just were doing their job, and what they thought they were seeing was one of the worst humans to ever exist on this planet. So he applauded them for keeping their composure and staying calm. So to repay that he gave no resistance, no snarky comments, and no complaining. He sat and he awaited his fate.
The first day was as boring as ever for the guards, but for Subaru he was enjoying the lovely relief of not being tortured for once. Of course, he was still chained down onto the metal slab and then two steel locked cuffs were placed on each wrist and he was purposefully put in an awkward position to annoy him. He was a little uncomfortable, but it beats having his nerves fried by a weakling catboy who he could easily strangle to death if even one of his hands were free.
Every night he'd watch the guards switch their positions and posts, and hear banter, some pertaining to how quiet and unusual this archbishop is, they thought he'd be more annoying. Subaru also liked that they least allowed him some sleep.
Subaru counted his days, and then the fateful morning occurred. He awoke to the sound of crowds cheering and metal clanking. When he looked to the tiny window to his left he saw the sight. A massive crowd of civilians, knights, and royals have gathered near the edge of the abyss to watch him fall. When he was taken out many of the crowd started to once again yell, some even tried to charge at him, but the guards stopped them stating that the cultist will get what he deserves soon. When he was walking he noticed a VIP section where he saw them.
All of the royal candidates have gathered to watch him fall. He saw Crusch, Felix, and Wilhelm. Two of them looked at him with hatred and disdain, but the familiar catboy looked as if he was enjoying the show. He looked at the Anastasia Camp where he saw the Greedy gal herself and good old Julius looking at him, both with professional faces, but he could catch a glimpse of "doubt?" within Julius, he didn't know what that was all about but he played it off. He looked all over and then he found them. All of the Emilia camp… Roswaal, Ram, Garfiel, Otto, Fredrica, and of course Emilia and Beatrice. He didn't see any sign of Petra but he assumed they wouldn't want to have her look at such a thing, he was glad about that at least.
When he turned to look at them he only caught the cold hard gaze of hatred irradiating off of them. He didn't care anymore, the moment they left him was the moment he lost all love and cherished for them. He simply looked forward to seeing what would happen. He didn't see any nooses or any executioner ready to chop his head off, so what are they gonna do? They wouldn't just throw him off a cliff, that'd be too risky as an archbishop might still survive such an encounter.
As he reached a platform near the edge he was ordered to halt. Soon the crowd was silenced by a loud voice, one he recognized as Knight Commander Marcos. He heard him give out a speech to the masses, his voice booming throughout the crowd.
"People of Lugnica! Today we are gathered to celebrate the defeat of one of the witch cult's most important members, one of the vilest and disgusting of them, the archbishop of pride Natsuki Subaru. Today we shall make an example of him and show the world that we have the power to rival and topple even the witch cult's strongest members. I thank you all for your bravery! The citizens of this great nation for standing with us and supporting us, the knights of this country for bravely facing down the enemies of humanity and having the courage to march forward, and most of all I thank the royal candidates for coming today, as they have shown us once again that they are worthy of bearing the title of future Empress of Lugnica. They have faced down the witch cult with boldness, courage, and fiery. They are the reason we are here today and why we can rest easier, knowing that one of their most dangerous shall be felled today, so let us REJOICE!"
The crowd would erupt in cheers as cries of joy as they chanted "LET HIM BURN!" Subaru was confused but then saw knights grabbing a container full of pitch, and he knew exactly what was going to happen. They were going to burn him alive while kicking him into the abyss. At first, he was worried, but then he remembered all their faces of enjoyment and hatred. They came to hear him scream and beg, to hear him break and die, but that won't happen. He has endured far worse and has already felt the pain of fire once. He shall not give them the satisfaction they came for.
He heard them quiet down once more as Marcos turned to him. "Cultist, you are hereby released of your duty to the witch cult, you will be burned asunder and tossed to your demise, I will allow you to speak one last time before your demise," He said with slight hatred in his tone.
Subaru simply looked to the crowd, looked to Emilia, and then looked to Marcos and just said, "Do it pussy" Then he saw the look of shock before he was then engulfed in flames. Some people waited to see, they were ready to hear this cultist scream in agony, but.. Nothing happened.
Subaru felt the flames encircle him.. He felt the warmth, the heat.. He knew this would always be a part of him. He looked at the crowd, even though he wanted to scream, the looks of disappointment and dissatisfaction gave him the motivation to keep it in. About 11 seconds passed until finally, Marcos decided enough was enough, and with one last look at Subaru, locking eyes, he kicked him off the platform and down the abyss.. He never screamed once as he fell
And that was the end of Subaru Natsuki..
And the birth of The Burned Man